Us 50 In Eastern Illinois

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Some photos from the trip.

 

Just inside Illinois, mere feet from the Wabash River, this is old US 50. A bridge used to cross from Main St. in Vincennes in IN; in 1933, a new bridge was completed (and is still there) one block south. The approach on the Indiana side looks to be brick, too, per Google Maps.

 

 

Old gas station in Noble, IL. Ice-cream parlor today (closed that day, darnit).

 

 

Concrete old US 50, right alongside current asphalt US 50 (on the left, but you can't see it). Could Illinois have thought they might build a 4-lane divided US 50? Hmmmmm????

 

 

Three abandoned bridges in a row, boom boom boom. First: Abandoned bridge over Big Muddy River.

 

 

Second: Abandoned bridge over Little Muddy River.

 

 

Third: Abandoned bridge over Little Wabash River.

 

 

1859 General Dean Suspension Bridge in Carlyle, IL. US 50 is one block south, but this bridge was never on US 50. It was, however, on the Goshen Road, an early east-west road across southern IL.

 

 

And then, on current US 50 just west of Carlyle, we saw one of the unused bridges. There are three or four of these on this alignment, built in about 1973 and then left to sit.

 

 

Time was short and the weather wasn't always cooperative, so we didn't get to see everything we wanted to. This road absolutely warrants a return trip someday. There were several old motels along the route, some abandoned and some still in business with lovely neon signs still at the roadside. And there's more of the old stagecoach route to see, esp. where new US 50 severs it, and where a stretch of it sits in some farmer's field.

 

jim

 

Great stuff! I recall our earlier discussion of these gems. Great to see them up close!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

[DennyG]

Good stuff. I really do need to get to that General Dean bridge in Carlyle.

[brownwho63]

Good stuff. I really do need to get to that General Dean bridge in Carlyle.

 

 

 

Okay, when will you and Pat be organizing the American Road Cruise on Indiana and Illinois U.S. 50?....Bliss

[DennyG]

Okay, when will you and Pat be organizing the American Road Cruise on Indiana and Illinois U.S. 50?....Bliss

That sounds like a Pat, Jim, & Chris cruise to me.

[mobilene]

There appears to be a TON of old-alignmenty goodness on US 50 in IN. That and much of US 50 is twisty/windy in IN, and fun to drive.

[mobilene]

I've finally written up my US 50 trip:

 

http://www.jimgrey.net/Roads/US50Illinois/index.htm

 

I also plan to write a few blog posts about specific sites along the trip; those are forthcoming.

 

Peace,

jim